NEW DELHI, Jan 9:
The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of the pleas of two leaders of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for interim bail in a money laundering case, saying they should wait for the trial court’s order in the matter.
Mohd Perwez Ahmad, who was the president of PFI’s Delhi unit, and its office secretary Abdul Muqeet had sought interim bail in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as the agency failed to file a charge sheet within the stipulated period of 60 days from arrest which expired on November 21, 2022.
Their counsel Mujeeb Ur Rehman submitted before the high court that on December 17, 2022, they approached the trial court for the grant of default bail and, during the pendency of the plea, they should be released on interim bail.
He said that on January 2, the prosecution failed to file a reply to the bail applications and the trial court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.
Noting the submissions, Justice Anish Dayal disposed of the two petitions saying that let the trial court first adjudicate the matter.
The high court granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the court in case any grievances are left.
The ED, however, claimed that it has filed the charge sheet within the statutory time period and cognisance on it has been taken by the trial court.
In the petition before the high court, the accused alleged that their fundamental right to a speedy trial was violated as the trial court has not disposed of the bail applications within two weeks as directed by the Supreme Court.
“The applicant is in judicial custody and is innocent as police officials falsely implicated him in a fabricated case while acting against the very settled principles of law and violated the fundamental rights of the applicant,” Ahmad alleged in the plea.
The agency had earlier submitted before the trial court that the accused along with other members of PFI collected funds through donations, hawala, banking channels, etc and used the funds for unlawful activities and commission of scheduled offences.
It had alleged that over the years, the transfer of funds was even being done from abroad through a clandestine or illegal channel under a conspiracy hatched by office bearers of PFI.
A large number of alleged PFI activists were detained or arrested in several states during the massive raids preceding the nationwide ban imposed on September 28, 2022.
The government banned the PFI and several of its associate organisations on September 28, 2022 for five years under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA, accusing them of having “links” with global terror groups like the ISIS.
In near-simultaneous raids across the country as part of a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the NIA, PFI activists were detained or arrested in 11 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.
The arrests were made in states and union territories including Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Delhi and Rajasthan. (PTI)
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